Her Blissful Wanderings
by Vaelencia
Summary: A simple, rural-region girl finds herself in a new region, Solein, one of the most technologically adept, and is then forced onto a journey by her grandfather. There, she will meet many people and travel far and wide across Solein as she searches for a place where she can belong. With her new friend, Absol, at her side, she will carve out a path to a home of her very own.
1. Chapter 1 - Razihel of Tierra

**A/N:** This is my first story that I've tried to seriously think about writing. I'm sorry if my story seems stiff, I'm still trying to relax my writing a bit! c:

Anyways, I don't have any serious ideas for the way this story will be heading, just yet, as I've decided to focus more on the journey through the region, rather than defeating the gym leaders, beating the elite four, etc. There _may_ be an enemy team, but I've yet to decide.

So, I'd love any feedback I can get, and I hope my procrastination tendencies won't get the better of me and make me quite this, like I often do when writing seriously. ;;

( The theme for the region and towns is 'celestial' - Tierra (Earth) and Helia (Sun), Helia being named after the same as the region, as to signify it being the biggest city. )

* * *

As the sun rose on the quaint town of Tierra, a single engine could be heard as a bulky moving truck chugged its way down the roads, stopping before a whimsical little cottage. A teen-aged girl jumped from the passenger side of the moving truck the instant the vehicle had begun its slowing, her hair waving about after her, before calming as much as it could against the gentle breeze that beckoned a greeting to the newcomers.

"Solein, huh…?" The girl mused with a gentle smile upon her lips as she raised a hand to flick some of her chocolate locks beyond her shoulder.

An elderly man exited from the driver's side of the truck and moved about the colossal vehicle to the girl's side, hands clasped behind his back as he straightened his hunched back to gaze up at the cottage. "Razihel, welcome to our new home." The elderly fellow gave a weak smile, weathered with age, as he watched another man of average appearance exit the truck and begin unloading their belongings from the back.

As the girl glanced her brown eyes over her shoulder, she noticed the man sighing subtly as he unpacked some of the heavier boxes. _Well, I can't just leave him to do all the work alone!_ She pondered to herself, smiling even wider as she turned to join the mover. "I'm sorry that my grandfather inconvenienced you and asked that you let him drive us here." She mentioned in passing as she entered the large opening of the cargo hold, bringing the boxes to the front for the mover. "Despite his old age, he refuses to let others do the work, if he can help it!" She mused, her words soon replaced by a light giggling as she assisted the man.

"Hm…? Oh!" The mover seemed shocked at the teenager's offer to help, and even more so at the apology offered, reflecting the moment with a low chuckle. "Ma'am, it is no problem at all, hearing all the stories he had to tell was reward, enough!" The man grinned, the two continuing to chat between themselves as they unpacked, the girl's grandfather joining in as they began placing the boxes inside the duo's new home.

* * *

The final box was placed down with care as the pair stood upon their new porch, waving farewell to the mover as he began his departure, taking the final boxes inside.

"Razihel, thank you for moving here, despite my forcing you." The old man murmured a slightly downcast look showing upon his features.

"Ah! Grandpa, it's fine! I can always continue school here, in Solein. Who knows, I might even get a better education here!" _After all, I can't be inconveniencing to you, Grandpa. You've helped me out since I was born, and I can never repay all of that._ The girl beamed happily as she began taking the labeled boxes to their respective room, scouting out the cottage as she went, memorizing the layout.

* * *

As soon as the final boxes were placed in the appropriate rooms, she heard a knocking from the first floor. The brunette quickly bounded down the stairs and to the door, opening it and offering a smile to the blonde girl standing before her. "Hello! Can I help you?" She asked curiously, noting how the girl seemed similar to her in age, and wondering if this was how all the girls in Solein dressed. After all, the blonde was dressed with incredible fashion, and what the girl could only believe to be Solein's highest trends.

"Hiya! My name is Kiefer! I heard a girl my age would be moving in today, and I'm super excited to see you've already arrived!" The girl squealed in excitement, quickly proceeding to tackle the brunette in a tight hug.

_ Wha-What…?_ The girl blinked her eyes in surprise before eliciting a giggle and hugging the girl back. _Is this how all the people of Solein are? They're so friendly!_ "Hey, Kiefer, it's a pleasure to meet you! My name is Razihel, but please call me Alis." The girl responded before pulling away to look the girl in the eyes.

"Whooooooaaaaaa! Alis, you're so formal! Don't be like that! I heard you moved here from a very rural region, and was expecting a bumpkin, or something, but I think you could be a total fashionista! Come over to my house, and we can play sometime!" Kiefer grinned, not noticing when a large poodle-type Pokémon came running up behind her, only noticing when it barked, causing her to jump.

"Feidhelm, don't sneak up on me like that!" The girl scolded calmly to the Pokémon, turning her back to Alis to flick her beautiful poodle Pokémon gently. "I realize that your coat is two centimeters too long on the right side, and planned to fix it right away, so just wait a moment." She muttered before shooing it off the porch to wait for her. Kiefer turned back to Alis and smiled once more, her blonde hair flowing around her face beautifully. "I'm sorry about him, but it seems I need to go trim his fur, so if you'll excuse me… Let's play again sometime, Alis!" She beamed, running off the porch and to the house next door, the poodle following her in.

"… his fur was too long? How could she tell?" Alis mused with surprised eyes, not thinking it was possible to even note such a small difference in straight hair, let alone curly hair. She was about to return to unpacking when she saw her grandfather behind her, holding a sealed envelope addressed to one 'Devron Linden'. "Grandpa? What's up?" She asked curiously, her eyes swapping between the letter and her guardian.

"Razihel, I'd like if you could deliver this to the man in charge of the nearby research facility, Professor Linden. His father and I used to be friends, and I would also like you to get acquainted with him. After all, he'll be the one to start you on your first Pokémon journey!"The old man grinned, handing her the letter with care, looking into her shocked eyes.

"J-Journey…? B-But… Grandpa, I haven't even finished school! And I can't really leave you alone." Alis muttered, trying to rationalize why her grandfather was deciding to send her off. _Has he gotten tired of taking care of me…? _She couldn't help but feel scared that she was being kicked out of the home of the only person who had cared for her.

"Yes, Razihel, a journey. Our home region had very few Pokémon, and they were used mostly as living assistants, as our population was old. I have wanted you to be able to explore the world for a long time, but I knew you were focused on getting into a good college to help care for me. I want you to be able to explore this new world and find something you truly wish to do, and a place you wish to be, all on your own." The man smiled, despite his weathered features, coming close to the teenager and hugging her close. He eventually pulled away and placed not only the letter to the Professor, but also another envelope addressed to her. "These are some starting funds for your journey, dear. Of course, you're welcome to come home whenever you like, or stay away as long as you like. I just want you to find a place that makes you happy, dear."

"B-But…! What about you, though? Who will take care of you?" Alis stammered, feeling more flustered and lost than she'd ever felt before. Her brown eyes felt misty, though she forced herself to seem as calm as possible. She'd never been a child who was good at sharing her emotions, despite her constant appearance of happiness. This was one of the many reasons her grandfather wished for her to journey far and wide, and to meet many people. He hoped she could find a place to call her own.

"Don't worry about me, love, the neighbors here are older, too, so we'll all be taking care of each other. Professor Linden is in the next town over, a town by the name of Helia. I've heard it's one of the biggest towns in the region, so I fear you getting lost. I've been talking with Kiefer's parents, and they recommended these…" The man murmured weakly, pulling out two watch-like devices, "I've been told these are called 'Xtransceivers', and are the most popular way to contact each other, here." He gave his granddaughter the monochromatic one, taking the blue one for himself. "I've already been taught how to add other people, so I've added myself to yours, but I suggest learning how to use it to keep in touch with all your friends." He explained, making sure to only describe the parts he was sure to have understood. Neither of them were any good with technology, coming from a rural region, thus all the high-level gear around for daily use would take some getting used to.

"…" Alis stayed silent as her gaze fell downward, not wanting to leave her grandfather's side, but knowing he wouldn't accept her denying his request. "Alright…" She muttered, grabbing her bag from the nearest box and putting her shoes on.

"Good girl. Now, I was also told there was a map in here," He pointed to the watches, "but I've no clue how to get to it." The old man chuckled in embarrassment, hugging his grandchild once more. "Razihel. You've been more of a child to me than any birth child could have been. Believe in yourself, and enjoy yourself…" He whispered subtly to the shivering girl, patting her head reassuringly. "I will always be here, waiting for any return." He reminded her, nudging her out the door, to where Kiefer was seen standing.

"Alis, let's add each other on the Xtransceiver!" The blonde beamed, quickly showing the girl how to add a new contact, and how to access the map. "You know, I'm about to return to my journey, too."

"You were on a journey, Kiefer?" Alis asked in surprise, her eyes widening slightly.

"Of course! I just came home for a visit, and heard about you, so I stayed long enough to say hi! But I should return soon, or I might get left behind… I'm in the coordinator world, you see? Staying out of it for too long will mean I'll be behind on _alllllll_ the trends!" Kiefer breathed in an exasperated tone, her eyes closing slightly in sadness at the idea, though she recovered quickly. "Anyways, as I was meaning to say, I hope we'll run into each other again. And if you ever need any help, give me or Professor Linden a call. Professor Linden gave me my first Pokémon, as well! My beloved Feidhelm, the Furfrou~" She sighed heavenly, clasping her hands and resting her face on them admiringly.

"Anyways, Alis, just hit me up whenever you need me, and I'll help you in any way I can! In Helia, there's a trainer school, so I'd suggest hitting that up for a quick course or two after getting your first Pokémon. Anyways, that's all for today's lesson, Master Kiefer must be on her waaaaaay~" The blonde grinned as she quickly equipped a pair of inline roller blades and skated away, heading towards the exit of the town.

The brown-haired girl was left in shock as she was nudged away once more by her guardian, a smile sending her off. The girl trudged towards the gates, wondering what she could possibly do with her life, or, rather, _would_ do with it. She had never been one to particularly know what she had wished to do with her life, but it seemed she would now be forced to discover it. As she exited the gates, she resolved to not look back to the town where she lived. She would move forwards, as her grandfather wished her to do. Onward, to Helia!


	2. Chapter 2 - Helia, the City of Sun

**A/N:** Sorry for the rushed chapter! To be honest, this and what is now becoming chapter 3 were supposed to be one, but after seeing the word count, I forced myself to stop where I did, in terms of chapter breaks.

Anyways, thanks a lot to anyone and everyone who's been reading, or will read, it honestly means the world to me. c:

* * *

As Alis left the gates of Tierra, she trekked along the Helia Path, a direct route from the rural town of Tierra to the brightly-lit city of Helia. The brunette couldn't help but feel she was walking through a time line; her origin being long in the past, with little advancements, to her destination, the future, a time full of technology and other new developments that she may never fully understand. She couldn't much decide if her origin was Tierra, or the rural region she had moved from, as both were relatively similar in situation.

As she continued walking, absorbing the natural silence, nature's white noise, that surrounded her, she could feel a pain slowly tightening the muscles up her legs. _I knew wearing these shoes was a bad idea... Maybe I'll buy some new ones with the money Grandpa gave me…_ The girl mused, glancing down to the mild, one-inch heels she donned. They were a sleek grey with purple tips, and she had assumed they'd be fine for walking and was greatly disappointed to find out exactly how far she'd be walking. _All in all, I should have assumed this much… of course it won't be an easy walk from a village to a city. Maybe I'll get some sort of transportation while I'm in Helia, too._

* * *

Succeeding a couple hours of undesirable muttering and foot pain, she saw a small building far over the horizon, making her sigh in relief as she began to pick up her pace towards what she believed to be her destination. She felt herself getting more and more curious as she got closer, as the building over the horizon kept getting taller, yet she hadn't seen any others around it. _Did I make a mistake…?_

While still walking, a few more buildings began to show themselves, yet the city in the distance still seemed far from being the city she had imagined._ A few tall buildings, that's it?_ Yet, as she got closer and closer, revealing the buried edges of the city, her jaw dropped stupendously. It was then that she realized that first building wasn't just any regular office building, but was, in fact, a soaring skyscraper, along with the other ones that slowly showed. After all, the brown-eyed girl just kept furiously trudging forward, aiming for the edge of the city, and yet never saw it come into view. The buildings just continued to grow and grow, ignoring everything else around them.

Eventually, she saw what she believed to be the entrance gate to the towering city before her, all of which was surrounded by a ring of buildings facing inwards, signaling the edge of Helia. _I-Is such a big city even possible…?_ Alis stared up at the city, noticing it was composed of not just one ring of buildings, but rather, a few. When she reached the entrance gate, she noticed a giant map portraying the city and moved over to scan its contents. Helia was composed of three circular sections and a bullet train connecting the three parts into a triangle. The sections were labeled as the 'Entertainment District', the 'Business District' and the 'Shopping District', the 'Entertainment District' being the biggest.

"Hey, after we're done in the SD for today, let's see if we can spot some celebrities in the ED-C!" A group of girls chattered amongst themselves as they passed Alis from behind. _Hm? SD? ED-C? Are those possibly acronyms for the districts? I suppose that makes sense… But what does the C stand for?_ While Alis was lost in her thoughts, trying to memorize the layout of the enormous city, a man in an elegant suit knocked into her, somehow having enough force to her to fall. She was about to apologize when she looked up and noticed the man had just briskly walked on, not bothering to give nor accept an apology.

"Well, I'm still sorry, I suppose…" Alis murmured to the back of the man, now far away, before entering through the gates, after him.

Her eyes went wide once more as she saw the expansive city before her, noting how she came out along a main road that seemed to separate two halves of a whole. To her left, she saw buildings labeled with the names of many recording companies, film studios, and other entertainer-type companies. To her right, she saw a very fun section, filled with parks, amusement parks, casinos, and arcades. They were so very different, but she supposed she could understand why both fell under 'entertainment'. Despite being able to see that ED was separated into two halves, she still couldn't understand which side 'ED-C' stood for.

Alis shot a glance down to the corner of the letter that peeped from the edge of her bag, humming curiously to herself._ Now, what district would a research institute be in? It probably wouldn't be in the ED or the SD, so maybe in the Business District?_ She decided that would be the best place for her to start, and wondered how to get there from where she was. She noticed an older woman sitting on a bench to the side of the road, feeding a group of pigeons at her feet. _She might be a nice lady to ask for directions from. _She decided that and the silently glided across the ground to stand before the lady at a reasonable distance, not wanting to scare the birds.

"Um, ma'am, do you know which way to the bullet train? The town guide says it should be nearby, but in such a large city, who knows how far 'nearby' is!" The petite girl giggled softly, making light talk as she lightly pushed a few strands of her hair beyond her shoulders.

When the lady looked upwards, the look in the lady's eyes startled the teenaged adventurer, causing her to step back slightly. _Is that a look of disgust? Did I say something upsetting? _Alis fretted as she felt her heart rate pick up its pace in worry.

The elderly woman snapped into a standing position and pushed past the girl, bumping into her on purpose as she hustled away as fast as her weathered muscles would take her.

"Wh-Wha-…?" Alis gasped as the lady, despite her obvious age, shoved by and hustled off into a crowded café. "D-Did I say something wrong…?" She stammered to herself, her brown eyes misting slightly. How would she ever get by in this town? She forced herself to take a deep breath and took the old lady's position on the bench so she could mess with her Xtransceiver. "Okay, Grandpa says there's a map on here somewhere, so maybe it's a good one!" The girl pleaded to herself, getting her hopes up only to find out it was a large-scale map, only. The girl whimpered in agony as she tried to get directions from a few other people, only to be shot down in a similar manner.

"Is something the matter with me…?" She muttered beneath her breath as she walked down the road, accidentally bumping into a signpost. She mewled lightly in response to the dull ache in her forehead, looking up to see what sign she had bumped into, finding it to be a bus route. Her eyes lit up immediately as she noticed that it contained a map of the bus's route, scanning it and eventually finding a stop along its route labeled 'Train Station'.

The girl traced the path along her hand to memorize the feeling of the directions in her palm, and gave a beautiful smile as she quickly followed the subtle instructions traced upon the skin of her hand, reaching the train station in no time. _Finally, I've found it!_ She beamed in relief as she purchased a ticket to the Business District, stepping onto the platform to await the train's arrival.

* * *

Upon the train's arrival, Alis noted how full the station seemed to be, as everyone shoved onto the bullet train, titled the Celeritate, her body being shoved aboard by the many other passengers. She found herself pressed tightly up against a door between two train cars, beside a security guard who watched the crowd intently. She was bumped by the wave of strangers into the security guard, her face flushing as the two ended up closer together.

"I-I-I'm sorry…" She stammered softly, trying to pull away as her coffee-colored eyes lowered themselves to the ground in apology. _Will this man be as rude as the others?_

"Oh, ma'am, I'm sorry, as well. Seems the train is pretty crowded today, isn't it?" The guard returned, offering her a friendly smile and some small talk as the people continued to crowd in, all with a place to be.

"Y-Yeah… are they always this crowded?" Alis asked earnestly, feeling herself inching closer and closer to the door between cars with each passing second. "It's my first time here… I have to admit, I'm feeling a bit claustrophobic…" She breathed, the air getting increasingly heavier as more people crowded in, all breathing and shoving each other about.

"Ma'am, are you alright? You look faint." The guard asked her worriedly, before calming himself and gaining a particular look as he lost himself in thought. "Hm…"

"I… I should be fine…" The girl responded, closing her eyes and forcing herself to take deep breaths. _Hm? What could be the matter with him?_ She wondered as she opened her eyes to look towards the guard. He seemed to be close to her in age, so she assumed he was a newbie. "Wh-What's the matter, sir?" She asked loudly, needing to project her voice to him, as the white noise of the train car grew increasingly louder.

"Well, the car beyond here is booked for a particular group, and I was told to let no one else in… but they shouldn't mind if I let you join them in private, would they?" The guard asked aloud, aimed towards himself. "Oh well. If it becomes a problem, just tell them to blame me for it. You seem really pale, after all." The guard decided, a serious look on his face as he decided earnestly what was the best for the passengers.

"O-Oh! I couldn't…!" Alis gasped, feeling the air get tighter and tighter around the two of them.

"No! You must. I won't have any passengers new to Helia fainting on my watch!" He decided firmly, turning and using a key to unlock the private party's train car. He escorted her in and then returned to his post in the other car, obviously not about to leave it up for discussion.

* * *

The coffee-colored eyes drifted across the nearly empty train car, only seeing a group of three boys in the back seats, not noticing her. She took a deep breath inwards, feeling the dizziness that she hadn't noticed she'd had begun to dissipate. She slipped into the front chair, not noticing her deep breath had gained the boys' attention.

It was then Alis's turn to be ignorant towards the boys, focusing on regaining her peace and calmness, rather than noting the trio silently walking to the front of the car, surrounding her the moment her eyes were closed for deep breaths, her face regaining its original hue.

"… Yo, who're you?" One of the boys suddenly spoke to the girl, awaking her from her calming trance.

Alis released a squeal of surprise as she opened her eyes to find the three boys standing before her. Her hair flailed about her frame as she subconsciously brought her legs to her chest and into a fetal position from sheer surprise.

"Hey, that was a kind of rude reaction. You're in _our_ train car, you know?" Another of the boys asked, shooting her a disapproving glance.

When the petite girl came to her senses, her face flushed and she bowed her head in apology to the trio. "I-I'm so very sorry! I was getting claustrophobic so the guard let me in here… oh! Please don't blame it on him, though!" She sputtered out uncontrollably, not realizing how flustered she was getting from the pressure placed on her.

The third boy of the group suddenly gave a chuckle aimed towards her, and patted her head slightly. "Hey, don't sweat it, alright?" He suddenly crouched down before her so the two were closer in eye-level as she was still sitting. "You must be new here, right? It's almost impossible to have claustrophobia in Helia and survive, after all." He commented, shooting her a smile as he looked up into her eyes.

"Heeeeey! Matt, be careful! She's probably lying, after all. She probably snuck her way past here to get to us!" The shortest of the three glared, turning his head to the side and giving his hair a slight flip.

"Vivi, be nice to our fans. This is exactly why you get the lowest ratings in terms of personality." The last boy sighed, crossing his arms slightly.

"Ridian, not you, too!" The boy called Vivi cried in exasperation, soon turning his features to an upset frown. "Fine… just give me a paper for autographs and then leave our car…" The boy grumbled while rustling his hair up wildly.

Alis watched the trio with wide eyes, slowly creeping farther into the back of the train seat. "Au-Autograph…? What for…?" The girl asked quietly, her timid, flustered nature taking over as she slinked backwards. The brunette had always been an out-going girl, though the shock of the sudden scenery change seemed to have knocked the joy temporarily away, leaving the girl lost and confused.

"What do you mean by that? Don't act dumb, it won't work on me! You only feigned illness to get into our train car. Everyone knows this is 's personal train car." Vivi scoffed as though his words were only the most basic of all knowledge. He seemed to think he could see right through a façade that Alis didn't have.

"Wait a minute…" Alis began to calm down and straighten herself, tapping her chin slightly in thought. All of a sudden, she spoke up once again with an oblivious look. "What's ?"

"Wha-Wha…!" Vivi flew back into a defensive position, a dumbfounded look plastered all over his features. "What do you mean 'What's '?!" He cried out, glaring at the girl like she was an absolute moron. Either that or that she took _him_ for a moron, and used that to add to her façade.

Suddenly, the crouched boy stood and shot a warning look to the boy called Vivi, his look conveying his entire message with fluency. He was obviously telling the smaller boy to calm down and sit down. He turned back to the girl and returned to his crouching position, offering her a warm smile, Alis feeling weary in return. "Are you lying to us?" He asked in such a straight tone, she almost began to feel offended.

"Of course not! I don't even know you people, what reason would I have to lie to you!?" Alis snapped accidentally, immediately regretting it as she clamped a hand over her mouth. She wasn't the type to snap at people, but these boys pegged her as some sort of deceiver!_ What nerve!_

"Hm… alright, then. You're free to stay in our car, then." The boy smiled, standing and muttering to his friends a retreat before they returned to the other end of the car.

_I just needed a breather… I seem to have met some troublesome people, Grandpa… _Alis elicited a heavy sigh as she brought her knees to her chest once more; glancing out the window to the blurring scenery they passed. After a few moments of silence between the separated groups of people, she eventually watched as the train slowed to a stop in another station.

"We've arrived in the Business District; next stop, the Shopping District." boomed a voice over the intercom. As soon as the doors opened, the brunette hopped to her feet and dashed out of the train car, ignoring the trio of boys whom stared at her without even an attempt to hide their gazes.

_ Okay, I just need to get to the Professor's lab, and then I can get out of this city…._


	3. Chapter 3 - A Companion for Life

**A/N:** Hello, all, I know it's been a while! After a review that I took kind of harshly, I finally came around to continuing this story, and hopefully I can continue it, still. I still hope that I can gain at least one person who likes this story, but no matter what, I'm just glad you all have taken the time to read this!

* * *

After a bit of walking, Alis arrived before a grand building titled "Linden Labs", surrounded by Pokémon décor and onlookers. There seemed to be a short line of teenagers before the building, causing the girl to delve into curiosity as she stepped up to the end of the line, listening to the conversations ahead of her to see what the line's purpose was.

"Ohhhh, am I excited! My first Pokémon… I've always dreamed of this day!" A girl directly ahead of Alis flushed, a certain sparkle fluttering away in her eyes.

"Me too, man! It took me three years to get my mom to say she'd let me go on a journey, you know?" The boy ahead of her responded, a playful grin stretched across his face. His eyes held a similar sparkle to the girls'.

_ Oh, so they're getting their first Pokémon today…I've heard of such a day from Grandpa before. I wonder if I could sneak by them…_ Alis pondered many different ways to get around the line ahead of her, but found she ended up quite rude no matter the outcome, so she kept to herself.

Slowly the line dissipated as students entered, exited with a burning enthusiasm and departed. They all held that similar sparkle to their eyes, leaving the brunette to wonder if such pride and excitement came from having a goal to achieve, such as the right to go on a journey. All the teenagers appeared to have something to strive for and aim towards, something Alis couldn't understand. All her life, she'd just supposed she'd grow up to get a rural job in their home region and spend the rest of her life taking care of her grandfather. That was just how she saw herself repaying the debt she believed she owed to her grandfather.

As time passed, it eventually became her own turn to enter, her hand clutching the letter tightly. She felt her heart pick up its pace as she stepped inside, as though the excitement from the other teenagers had become infectious. "Hello?" She asked as she stepped inside, being greeted by a man in a white lab coat with a frown on his face.

"I'm sorry, but we're all out of Pokémon today." The young man apologized, looking merely a few years older than Alis, herself. _Is this the Professor? He seems young, though… _

"Ah, that's fine, I'm not here for a Pokémon… my grandfather asked that I deliver this letter to Professor Linden." Muttered the girl as her chocolate eyes drifted over the expansive laboratory, holding out the letter for the man in the lab coat to take.

"Oooooh, a letter? How fun!" The man grinned and took the letter, turning his back to the girl as he scanned its contents, turning and beaming to Alis after finishing. "Oh, so you're Alis? It's been forever! You probably don't remember me, but once, my father and I stayed at you and your grandfather's home for a couple weeks, researching local Pokémon. You were so cute!" The brown-haired man gushed, his tone very airy and connected, expressing his obviously aloof personality.

Suddenly the man got very serious as he began to think something through, speaking his thoughts aloud. "Hm… he says he wants me to give you a Pokémon since you'll be taking a journey on his recommendation, but we just ran out of starters…. What to do…?" He muttered as his brows furrowed tightly, his arm crossed in strict concentration.

"I've got it!"

Before Alis could dare to respond, the professor had pranced off down a hall, returning shortly after with a pokéball in his palm. "This fellow can be your first Pokémon! He was caught when a researcher found him wounded in the field. He's healed up all nicely, but he doesn't seem to get along well with others… But you should be able to use him to catch a Pokémon that you'd like! He won't be able to live without assistance, most likely, after all." The brunette explained with a light smile, throwing the ball up in the air.

A red stream of light rained down, dissipating until only a sleek, white creature was left, a sharp blade protruding from his forehead. It glanced towards the two humans and held a weary, hostile look to its eyes.

"This is an Absol. It's more elusive than the majority of Pokémon, but we somehow caught him. You're welcome to use him to find your first partner Pokémon!" He explained, placing the red and white ball in the palm of Alis's hand before jogging off to finish some work, calling back over his shoulder. "Come back tomorrow after you find a partner and I'll give you the rest of the stuff at that time!"

Alis couldn't help but feel shocked at how quickly everything had happened, and began to wonder if everything in this city was fast-paced and rushed. She looked over to the semi-hostile Pokémon and elicited a heavy sigh once again. "Does everything in this region go so fast? Everyone always seems to be in a hurry. I wonder why you don't like people, though…" The girl mused, crouching to the ground to see eye-to-eye with the Absol, her coffee-colored hair splaying about in a nonsensical fashion.

"Do you like it here?" She asked softly, staring into the black eyes of the wild creature. She was amazed at how he kept such a wild and free appearance after having been caught and tamed by the pokéball she was still holding. She noticed the beast glaring at the ball she palmed, seeming as though he were about to growl at it and make it repent for its actions. After seeing this reaction, she calmly placed it on the floor between the two of them.

"So that's it, huh?" She solved, moving to a criss-cross seated position. "This vile thing caught you, and the humans here keep you under control, hm? You probably want back to wherever you came from, right? I can understand that… I want to go home… this place is much too fast for me…" A sigh followed once more. "I've sighed more times today than I have in my entire life, you know? I wonder if I can ever calm down and adjust…"

The girl continued talking to the beast for a few more minutes, releasing all the weight she hadn't realized was sitting on her, calming down and taking a few deep breaths. "Thank you for listening to me. It's really appreciated." She smiled to the beast that had since lost his hostility and merely watched over her wearily. It began to walk closer to her, shocking her, though he stopped right before her and laid down, facing away from her. She looked up to realize the two had moved to sitting in the corner of the current room, and the Absol seemed to be blocking her in. Well, she had thought that, but after closer inspection, he had his back away from her, and had turned quite calm. "Could it be… you're watching over me?" She asked in surprise, her eyes widening at the realization. She inched slightly to test her boundaries, and noticed the Pokémon didn't move, but watched her. He didn't hold her from leaving the corner, but instead, kept a calm eye on her.

Alis felt herself smiling freely and leaned against the wall, allowing her eyes to drift shut slightly. "Let's take a short nap, shall we?" She whispered beneath her breath, listening to the Absol shuffle closer, in response, and lay back down facing outward once more. Despite the hostility she had felt from the creature earlier, she felt strangely safe beside the Pokémon, and accidentally fell asleep in comfort.

* * *

Upon waking up from her slumber, Alis jumped to her feet in realization, her eyes wide. "Oh man, did I fall asleep!?" She gasped, trying to keep her voice down as she looked around, noticing the building had grown dark with only a few lights still on. The brunette looked down to see the Absol looking up at her, frowning as she realized she had probably woken him. "I'm sorry, dear, I must have woken you." She apologized, crouching down and momentarily forgetting the Pokémon had previously been hostile towards any and all humans. She wasn't reminded of the fact until she had her hand close to the creature to pet him, remembering and freezing up quickly.

Absol didn't respond to her getting near him in a violent manner, but rather, seemed expectant as he glanced at her hand. When Alis realized this, she smiled softly and lowered her hand slowly to stroke his fur, steering clear of the blade atop his head. She didn't hear a purring, but a similar growl of content as the sleek beast stood, standing before her, giving her a knowing look, as if he wanted her to agree to something.

"Hm…? What is it?" Alis blinked in curiosity as the beast slowly inched closer, trying to get his point across. It took a few inches of closed space before Alis came up with a possibility. "Is this… about me getting my first Pokémon?" She asked softly, watching as the creature nodded slowly, making even such a simple gesture seem much more majestic in purpose. "Do you… want to join… me?" She continued in a quiet, surprised voice. It only surprised her more when the creature nodded once more.

_I would like to join you in your journeys. _

Needless to say, Alis grew startled when a voice seemed to echo throughout her skull cavity, the voice of a deep, poetic creature. She couldn't tell if this voice had been hallucinated, or if she'd possibly heard Pokémon telepathy, which was something she'd once before heard of. She had never expected such a rare occurrence to happen to her, of all people, though!

"I… I think I would like that as well." She faltered, wondering if she would even get a response, or if she truly was hallucinating.

_I go by Izrail. What was your name, human? _

Once again, the echo reverberated, leaving Alis breathless in the moment. Her legs lowered until she was kneeling before the silky, frosted creature. "I'm… Razihel Brilar, but you can call me Alis." She confided, smiling softly at the creature whom had opened up to her, even if it was just slight.

The creature turned from the brunette and began walking down the hall, not waiting for the teenager to follow, as he seemed to know she inevitably would. _Well then, Alis, the sun has risen and Linden awaits your arrival. _

"Ah, Izrail, wait up!" She called out as she jogged to keep up with the creature, finding a great smile to bless her features. She seemed to have finally developed that sparkle that so many before her held. She, too, looked forward to the journey to come, and the people she'd meet.


	4. Chapter 4 - A Journey's Dawn

Upon arriving at a door labeled 'Professor Linden', the coffee-haired girl rapped her knuckles against the wood nervously. Alis had begun worrying as she followed the Absol that the professor wouldn't allow her to travel alongside him, and would ask her to find another partner. She had wanted to ask Izrail what he had thought of it, but she would admit she felt awkward questioning a Pokémon about such a humanistic topic.

Not allowing her time to delve even deeper into mental despair, the man whom she had spoken to before appeared on the other side of the door way, blinking in surprise, as though he hadn't expected to see her. "Ah, Alis, you arrived quite early today." He commented in his moment of surprise, but gestured for her to enter his office, nonetheless. "I know I told you to come today, but I hadn't expected you to show up so early in the morning." He admitted.

"M-Morning?" Alis questioned, a rising tone of shock appearing as she realized it hadn't even become afternoon when she had spoken to him last. For morning to arrive… it must have meant she slept through the whole night!

"Yes…?" The brunette arched a brow in suspicion, but kept any comments he may have had to himself.

Alis cleared her throat and composed herself, standing straight as the Absol walked in after her, standing at her side. The brown-eyed girl began shivering where she stood, nervous to ask such a bold question from someone she had barely met. "I, um… I wanted to ask if… y'know… if, erm, _I could take Absol as my partner_." She muttered in a hushed tone, her face turning slightly red. She wasn't used to seeming so brash to those in authority positions.

"Hm… I kind of guessed you'd ask me something like that…" He mused, tapping his chin and closing his eyes as he pretended to be deep in thought.

_What does he mean?_ She cleared her throat slightly, "Um, excuse me, why did you think I'd ask that?"

"Ah! One of my assistants came to me last night and told me they had spotted you napping in a corner. They saw the Absol blocking you in, and thought you may have been in danger, so they tried to grab the pokéball lying between the two of you. The Absol then proceeded to snarl at my assistant, I am told. Apparently, after that, he tried to call out to you to get you to wake up, and the Absol seemed even more upset at that, and nearly attacked him! It seems the creature didn't wish to leave you alone in the corner, though, so he receded." The young man explained, a small smile upon his lips as he imagined the situation.

"Well, I, Devron Linden, will grant you that Pokémon to begin you on your journey, Alis!" The professor grinned, placing his hands on his hips, accentuating his young age. He was much younger than most professional professors, and yet he had already reached a rank so high. After all, he appeared to be in only his mid-20's.

The brunette's eyes grew wide as she pivoted to face the Pokémon, beaming widely. "Izrail, did you hear that!? We can go on our journey together!" She reiterated, as though the Pokémon hadn't fully understood the first time he had heard it.

_Yes, Alis, we may adventure together._ The voice echoed quietly, leaving Alis to nod her head in agreement, turning to Devron once more. "Thank you so much for this opportunity, Professor!" She exclaimed ecstatically.

"Well, before anything else can begin, I have to get you to register yourself as a Solein trainer, so follow me to the card kiosk, and I'll help you out. I don't usually assist the new trainers with this, but since you're brand new to the region and haven't attended the trainer school, I'll make an exception." The brown-haired professor winked playfully as he led the girl and her companion out of the room and down the hall.

"Your Trainer ID will act as many things while you travel across the region. It will act as your credit card, your passport, entrances passes to many different things, and so on. After signing up, you'll be given a guide book in case you ever need to refer to the full list." Devron explained as they headed towards the lobby of the lab, walking over to a machine similar to a retro video game and photo booth cross. The machine was covered in renowned Pokémon from all over, making the machine look region-friendly no matter where it was. "You'll step in front of the draped black fabric for the picture, but you can be closer to the machine for the questions." He continued to inform the brunette, nudging her to stand in front of the machine.

Alis blinked in surprise from how quickly everything was moving along, but nodded diligently and walked to stand in front of the drape, noticing the machine turned on at the sight of motion. After giving a moment to boot, it immediately began offering questions on the screen as a keyboard popped out.

_Please answer the following questions honestly, and be wary of spelling, as trainer IDs are non-replaceable._

_ What is your full name? (include any hyphenated last names and all middle names)_

**Razihel Mylin Brilar.**

_When is your birthdate? (DD/MM/YYYY)_

**13/5/20XX**

_To double-check, are you __**17**__? If not, please hit the back arrow and re-enter your birthdate. (Y/N)_

**Y**

_What gender do you identify as? (M/F)_

**F**

_Please enter your Holo Caster Mail address for updates from your local Pokémon Professor:_

_ Please enter you Holo Caster ID Number for communication with you local Pokémon Professor:_

_ Is your Holo Caster from the region __**Ferirn**__? (Y/N)_

** Y**

_ Would you like this region listed primarily on your Trainer ID Card? (Y/N)_

** N**

_ Would you like this region listed secondarily on your Trainer ID Card? (Y/N)_

** Y**

_ Do you have any medical disabilities to be noted of upon your Trainer ID Card? (Y/N)_

** N**

_ Please touch the screen to select the following boxes for career choices to be listed on your Trainer ID Card:_

** [ ] Pok****émon Professor**

** [ ] Pokémon Trainer**

** [ ] Pokémon Coordinator**

** [ ] Pokémon Idol**

** [X] Other/Undecided/All**

_ Do you have a bank account with Caster Banking already? If so, enter your current account number. If not, type 'N':_

** N **

_Does this information look correct? (Y/N)_

On the screen flashed an example Trainer ID card with all the information she had typed in or given the answer to, save an empty slot for the picture that would be taken shortly after. Alis gave a heavy sigh of relief after she realized that the bullet-quick question round was finally over for her, her face appearing weary from the concentration she'd finally relaxed from. She stretched her neck slightly to relieve built-up pressure in her joints before typing her final answer.

** N**

_ Please stand upon the stickers on the ground in front of the background for your picture. The picture countdown will last ten (10) seconds. Commencing… now._

The screen morphed to show the view of Alis, and where the picture would be cropped to, showing the countdown vividly in the corner of the screen, tauntingly ticking away. Alis jumped slightly at the quick countdown and moved her feet onto the stickers that designated her standing spot, lining herself up in the camera and giving off the best look she could.

_ 3..._

_ 2…_

_1…_

_**Click!**_

_Thank you for choosing Caster Inc. for your traveling needs._

Alis heaved yet another sigh of relief as the machine began whirring away, producing the card she'd be using for the duration of her journey.

Devron popped his head in and grinned to his new pupil, giving her a reassuring pat on the head as he grabbed the warm card that came from the system. "Good job, Alis, you've worked hard." He murmured with a soft smile as he led her back to his office. On the trek back, Devron began to reminisce aloud about his own journey, "When I went on my journey, the most stressful part weren't the Pokémon battles or any competitions I entered; the most stressful part was definitely answering that damned machine's questions! It just goes so quickly…" He glanced down to her card in his hand and sighed before continuing, "At least your card design is cool. I went through all those questions and whatnot and got a boring looking card! And with all the stress pent up, my picture came out terrible, too!" He sighed dramatically once more as they reentered his office.

Alis smiled to Izrail as she sat down, the Absol coming to sit beside her chair, sticking close to her as they both watched Devron move behind his desk and begin to sift through his desk drawers. "We're almost on our way, Izrail!" She whispered, finally beginning to get excited once more as the weariness wore off.

_Yes, and may our journeys be safe._ The Absol responded telepathically, still looking ahead. His partner couldn't seem to understand how he could seem like he was smiling when his face never expressed anything except stoicism.

"Mm… I hope we can have fun together." Alis mindlessly murmured, realizing what she had said and quickly quieting herself. She had no room to be thinking of fun! She was only on this journey to please her grandfather! At least, that was how she started to think, but her shell was slowly wearing away, just as her grandfather had hoped.

"Alright, found it!" Devron smirked as he finally pulled a box from the seemingly bottomless drawer. "I guess if I cleaned up I could find things a bit easier…" He mumbled before snickering and shaking his head, "As if that would ever happen." He chuckled and handed the box over to her. "One Pokédex for an aspiring trainer!" He presented with grandeur, passing off the box.

Alis blinked in surprise and opened the box carefully, pulling out some Styrofoam casing. She separated the two pieces of foam to reveal a sleek, black and white-accented Pokédex, pulling it out gingerly. "There's no way I could take this… it seems much too expensive, and I could never afford to pay you for it!" She gasped out, her eyes wide at how advanced the machine in her hands appeared to be.

"Pay…? Oh, of course not, Alis! It's a gift from me, your patron professor! To be honest, I gave away all the Pokédexs I had ordered for the trainer quota today, so I'm actually giving you a prototype that Caster sent me. And before you say that that is more reason not to give it to you…" Alis froze when he gave her a knowing wink before continuing, "I find it a pain to transfer Pokémon data, and I can get mine to work via upgrades. I don't need a brand new one. And it's not for free, so don't argue there, either…" He snickered as Alis froze even more than the first time, "You'll pay me by telling me how the Pokédex works, alright? Then I have information to send to Caster. If it ever glitches up, just bring it back here to me, and we'll get you a regular one… but only if it comes to that, understood?"

Alis swallowed her comments and nodded politely, keeping to her manners above arguing with her patron professor. Her grandfather had told her on their way to Solein that this region was thriving with rare and exotic Pokémon, and as such, there were actually many professors housed in different cities with different agendas. Apparently it was a big deal over who your patron professor was, here, and it was like being in some sort of gang, as rival professors existed all over the region. Unfortunately, she had heard that Professor Linden was not well-liked by the other professors, for reasons unbeknownst to her. But, either way, she has already caught on that people who lost their patronage from any one professor was like losing the right to be a trainer. She was sure the conversations she had overheard were exaggerating, but she wasn't willing to find out.

"Good! Now, here are some pokéballs to get you started," He entered 'professor spiel' mode, handing her about ten small, red and white balls, all of them shrunken to an appropriate size. "I'd suggest first checking out the SD, which means 'shopping district' in Helia-lingo, and procuring yourself an adventurer's bag. They're sold all over, and there are many different types, so I'd take your time. You'll find anything you need in Helia, so, please, enjoy yourself before you start off! I'll call your grandfather to tell him how you fared." Devron smiled and patted her head before sending her out of his office and towards the lobby.

Alis blinked yet again at how rushed everyone and everything in this region seemed to be, and took a deep breath before heading towards the exit with Izrail, jumping in surprise when she heard him initiate conversation.

_I think we should take our time, like he said. There's no need to keep up with someone else's pace on a journey that is your own._ His voice echoed wisely, causing the brunette to smile, despite herself. She had never thought a Pokémon so wise until she met her new companion. As she exited the building alongside him, even her chocolate eyes smiled as she looked forward to the day ahead of them, and even the days beyond. She was willing to walk a trail alongside Izrail in search of something that could be 'hers'. A place where she'd no longer have any unwanted worries. A place of her own peace.


End file.
